From:
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 1994 10:16:36 -0800
From the National Coalition Against Censorship, April 1994: (NCAC can be
reached at 275 7th Ave. NY NY 10001, ph=212-807-NCAC, fax=212=807-6245.)
NCAC BOOKS OF THE MONTH
An occasional snapshot of the stories behind and the current status of
some challenged book NCAC has been helping to defend.
"The Drowning of Stefan Jones" by Bette Greene (Boling, Texas)
In a sadly ironic decision, a school board banned a young-adult
novel about intolerance. Among the charges was that the book, about a
town's prejudice against a gay couple, will encourage the reader 'to
embrace the homosexual lifestyle as acceptable.' Bantam Doubleday Dell.
Status: BANNED.
"Families" by Meredith Tax (Fairfax, Virginia)
Through the eyes of a six-year-old, this charming and funny piece
of children's fiction shows different families. The book is part of the
Family Life Education Program (under attack by local far-righters) and has
been challenged by a parent who claimed that "nowhere in this book is the
word marriage emphasized." Little, Brown, and Co. Status: PENDING.
"The Devil and All His Works" a textbook (Kalispell, Montana)
The fire-and-brimstone advocates of censorship in Kalispell
saw fit to have a library aide fired for lending this book. She pulled
the book out of her personal collection when two students requested it
for a class-approved project on witchcraft. The principal claimed she
distributed "pornographic" materials, and the library aide lost her job
and reputation. American Heritage. Status: BANNED.
218 Books on Gay and Lesbian Issues (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Choice was the key concept in a multicultural reading program at
the local high-school. Yet, when one student demanded that the gay and
lesbian unit be eliminated as unsuitable to her religious beliefs, the
school caved in rather than pointing her to a different option in the
program. (Various publishers). Status: BANNED.
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Naylor (Grayson, Louisiana)
A young boy who tries to shield a dog from its abusive owner is
the focus of "Shiloh." Because the parents of one fourth-grader cried
"foul language," the school board banned the book, even though a policy of
challenged materials had not yet been created. School board members are
now working on creating such a policy, which will be applied to "Shiloh."
Meanwhile, the book is banned from the classroom. Bantam Doubleday Dell.
Status: SUSPENDED.
"Asking About Sex and Growing Up" by Joanne Cole (Anchorage, Alaska)
"All the information in this book is written as if it is an
instruction manual," is the complaint against this children's book. Such
charges against sex education are now commonplace; however, a ballot
proposition to have Anchorage citizens vote on the availability of a book
in an elementary school library is unique. William S. Morrow. Status:
PENDING.
"Tamelane" (Newcastle, Pennsylvania)
The timeless Scottish folk tale has been banished from an
elementary school library. The "many references to witchcraft and the
occult" are alleged to have caused a child "emotional trauma." Status:
BANNED.
47 Titles (Riverside, California)
Members of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum believe Richard Wright's
"Black Boy" is "racist" and "denigrates mothers," that a Kate Chopin story
portrays marriage as oppression, that a narrative about Rosa Parks
"questions authority." "Concerned parents" are threatening to sue the
Desert Sands school board over 15 books used in a California assessment
text. (various publishers). Status: PENDING.